UConn Finds These Blowouts Challenging, Too

The Huskies have won their first 15 conference games by an average of 38.9 points, a margin that might have cracked 40 had Louisville not fought to within 17 points Feb. 9 at Gampel Pavilion.

For example, on Saturday, in Geno Auriemma's 1,000th game, UConn put a second 50-point beating on Houston (91-40) in a building so empty and seemingly disinterested in what was going on that it made you wonder what the point was.

But the event was very instructive; this is the very battle Auriemma wages daily with his No. 1 team (28-0).

No matter how easy it looks, how quickly a victory is assured, he wants his players attentive and goal-oriented when playing overmatched conference opponents because there is more at stake than appears.

That will be the case Tuesday again when the Huskies play SMU, a team they dispatched by 61 points (102-41) on Feb. 4 at Gampel Pavilion. And think about this: The Mustangs have the AAC's leading scorer, guard Keena Mays.

Mays has scored at least 20 points 15 times this season and is the first player in program history to have four 30-point games in one season.

She scored 20 points against UConn in their last meeting, but was 8-for-24 from the floor. Her teammates scored only six baskets in a game SMU trailed 54-19 at the half and shot just 20 percent (14-for-70).

"Regardless of whom you are playing, where you are playing, what time of day it is, if you are going to put your sneakers on and run on the court, you have to play," Auriemma said. "Sometimes kids, because of human nature, just say, 'Ah, whatever, we are going to win. What's the point [of playing hard]?'

"Well, there is a point. If there wasn't a point, then maybe we should have just called Houston and said, 'Look, last time we beat you by this much, why don't we just make the score the same again and call it a day?' If you are going to come down here, then you have to [be willing to] play."

Auriemma has not publicly assailed what he has seen in the league. And there is a reason; two of his former assistants, Tonya Cardoza (Temple) and Jamelle Elliott (Cincinnati) coach AAC teams. And he has good friends, such as South Florida's Jose Fernandez, running others.

But in the first 15 conference games, the Huskies have held opponents to a shooting percentage of 28.9 and an average of just 45.2 points.

So Auriemma places an emphasis on playing a game within the game.

"Look, we're not really playing against Houston or SMU, and there's no disrespect intended when I say that," Auriemma said. "We want to win, but the point is not how much we can win by. We are trying to prepare for the NCAA Tournament."

That is why Auriemma was so unhappy with the first half Saturday at Houston, even though the Huskies led 40-16. He didn't see the energy or cohesion displayed that will be required to beat the final four teams he expects to be on his schedule in March and April in the NCAA Tournament.

And that is what this is all about.

"We understand that every game we play in the conference is not going to be super-competitive," senior guard Bria Hartley said. "But we need to stay motivated, and to be very good takes hard focus on what your team is doing. And that it is improving every day. He always wants us to maintain that mindset.

"I think this team has shown a lot more consistency that last year's did. Last year. I don't know, if was a collective struggle at times. Then when March came, we kind of went on a roll."

Senior Stefanie Dolson said the ability to use every minute to its productive best is a learned skill.

"When you are a freshman and sophomore, it is hard to understand [what the point is]," Dolson said. "It's easy to just go out there and start to wonder once you get up by 10 or 20.

"Once you're a senior, you understand that the point is to get better, even if you have to think of [a game] as a practice, a chance to run our offense. As you mature, you bring that mindset into every game to just play as hard as you can."

Hartley, Jefferson On List

Hartley and sophomore guard Moriah Jefferson are among the 22 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which goes to the top point guard in Division I women's college basketball. The candidates will be narrowed down to five finalists in March; the winner is announced at the Final Four. ... Rookie guard Saniya Chong was named AAC freshman of the week. Chong averaged 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in a 2-0 week for the Huskies.